30 Ways to Offend an Interviewer

When it comes to job search, not everyone is a natural at the interviewing part for a job. Even with a professionally written resume, a ton of great references, and plenty of energy, there is usually a definite level of finesse involved with being able to turn a job interview into a job offer, and if your behavior with interviewers is inappropriate, you’re in big trouble. Because if that happens, you’re unlikely to advance as a candidate and thus be sent back out into the job market once again.

So here at Knock Em Dead, we’ve put together this list of 30 ways to offend an interviewer as a fun reminder of behaviors to avoid the next time you find yourself in a job interview!

30 Ways to Offend an Interviewer

Offer a sweaty-palm, dead-fish handshake.

Check your phone. Everyone does it.

Wear a sexy outfit. If you’ve got it, flaunt it.

Overwhelm the interviewer with noxious cologne.

Bring in your Starbuck’s (or any other drink).

Have lunch in your teeth or on your breath.

Evade questions you don’t know how to answer.

Interrupt and finish the interviewers sentences to demonstrate how perceptive you are.

Lookout for anything that looks like discrimination and be ready to display your superior knowledge of the law.

Look at your watch.

Fidget in your seat.

Smell of stale liquor or cigarettes, ideally both.

Curse, because you heard the interviewer do it.

Tell an off-color joke to break the ice.

When asked reason for leaving a job, bad mouth your boss.

Tell them them all about yourself, from your first burger-flipping job to what led you here, don’t worry about the time it’s taking.

Showcase your tats and piercings if you’re interviewing for a conservative position.

Don’t bother researching the company.

Be a close-talker.

Make “how much does it pay?” the first question you ask.

If you don’t know the answer, make something up.

Be brutally honest when they ask you about negative things.

Take offense and refuse to answer illegal questions.

Play hard to get.

Don’t thank them for their time.

Don’t invest time prepping for tough interview questions.

Even though many of the things mentioned in this list are funny, these things do happen in real interviews and that is no laughing matter. Your ability to successfully interview for a job affects your entire life, putting a roof over your head and food on your table.

Ensuring your future means being prepared for the important parts of life, like job search. With the right resume, experience and methodology, you can handle each wave that comes at you and end up a better person in the end.

Have you done anything on this list? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!